Shine
by mille feuille marzipan
Summary: Okay, so I have a mild fear of spiders. Which is why I try to avoid directly fighting baels. JoshuaArtur
1. The Bringer of Light: Artur

**Genre: Game**

**Category: Fire Emblem**

**Summary: Okay so, I have a mild fear of spiders. Which is why I try to avoid directly fighting baels. [JoshuaArtur]**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I only own the game cartridge DX**

**Warnings: Shounen-ai goodness :D**

**Notes: Hey, look; something NOT Guilty Gear related! Well, it's my first attempt at a Fire Emblem fanfic, and I decided to base it off the first FE game I ever played—Sacred Stones. We really need more of this pairing… X3 There's nothing else I really need to say, other than: if you don't like shounen-ai, turn away. (Two warnings now). That said, here we go!  
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It had nearly been a week ago that the army had left Jehanna behind, barely escaping with our hearts still beating and our limbs intact. Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim both agreed to risk going back to the Tower of Valni in order to drive off the dark creatures that lurked within its floors. With our enemies only growing stronger, a bit of training wouldn't hurt. (But for a few members of our party, well, they just needed an excuse to go kill things for the fun of it. One such example, without a doubt, is Dozla.) The whole 'Ghost Ship' thing hadn't cleared yet, so we were stuck with the overland route once again.

It was early afternoon and we made camp at Teraz Plateau for the night, staying at the stronghold where we had met up with Prince Innes and Gerik's mercenary band a while back. Everyone was tired from the journey, since we did not pass through the mountains like last time, and gratefully indulged in their break. I had decided to go outside. The day was nice and clear, but I had overhead Rennac saying that he sensed a fog rolling in. (I knew thieves and rogues can see well in fogs, but I never thought they could actually sense them coming. I guess you learn something everyday after all.)

I found a tree near the steps leading up to our shelter. I was very fond of climbing them in my youth, before I left my home for the temple. I jumped up and grabbed hold of a low branch, before I hoisted myself up into it. I decided to go a bit higher and soon climbed onto the branch above the first one. The view of the plateau was nice from here and it brought back a sense of nostalgia. But I won't go into that—story for another time. I leaned back against the trunk and looked up at the sky, letting my mind wander. I tried not to think of the terrible things that had happened so far during the course of the war, or the future mishaps that would possibly occur later on. I closed my eyes.

"So here you are!"

I yelped in surprise and lost my balance. I tried to grab the branch, but my fingers only managed to brush against the wood before I crashed into the ground on my side. Groaning, I sat up, my entire right side aching from the fall. The purple-haired host of the startling voice giggled with amusement.

"Lute, will you please stop doing that? You've already frightened about a decade or so off my remaining life as it was." I said, giving her my best attempt at a glare. Sadly, it proved not to be very intimidating, for she merely smiled at the gesture.

"Oh come now, Artur! One would think you'd have gotten used to it by now, since the two of us had joined this rag-tag army in the early stages of this war." She said, pointing a finger three times to emphasize whatever point she was making, "Why, what if I had been a Grado soldier? Or maybe a Revenant? What then, Artur?"

I sighed in defeat. Trying to convince Lute was like trying to get Ross to become a Pegasus knight. In other words: no way in the name of Latona was that ever going to happen. You would probably have had an easier time trying to defeat Valter, Caellach and their troops with your bare hands. (Mind you, that would have been _very_ helpful back in Jehanna.) So, with the battle lost, I decided to humor my companion.

"Is there a reason, O' Great One, why you grace me with your presence?" Lute rolled her eyes, catching the sarcasm

"Haha, Artur, very funny." She said, "But yes. I was asked to deliver something to you."

I raised an eyebrow as she gave me the book she had been holding onto. It was a new magic tome, "Who is it from?"

"Prince Joshua. He was planning to give it to you himself, but Princess L'Arachel dragged him off to a war council to discuss some things."

"I see…" Flipping through the pages, I recognized the spells to be that of a Shine tome. It would explain why the exterior looked nicer than my usual Lightning. As I was doing so, I saw something drop from between the pages from the corner of my eye. Lute picked it up and glanced at it before I got it from her.

"It looked like a letter. Go read it, Artur." My mage companion told me, walking around so she can read it over my shoulder. I looked back at her uncomfortably. For all I know, this could be something personal that was intended for me alone. She rolled her eyes when she saw my expression and gestured me to carry on. My attention turned back to the letter:

_Artur, _

_Thank you for your time in helping me train. I noticed that your last tome shriveled up in the previous battle (sorry about that, by the way) so I got you a new one when we passed by a shop. Hopefully, this one will last a bit longer and will help knock out more opponents. _

I can feel Lute grinning teasingly over my shoulder, "Looks like someone has an admirer!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's just a gesture of thanks." I said, trying to look unabashed to her statement. That was hard to do when a very noticeable pink color started to appear across my cheeks. Apparently, she noticed it and her grin grew wider.

"If you say so." Lute said in an almost sing-song voice before leaving. I waited until she was completely out of sight before I let go of a held breath. An admirer, huh? If only.

You see, I was the one that liked Joshua; not the other way around. I can't really remember when this infatuation of mine started—maybe it was when he had first talked to me in the battlefield. I found it quite peculiar, his little taste for gambling, that is. But he was still a kind person—looking out for me in battle, making sure I didn't overdo it after we finished our "training" sessions. He was also a pleasant person to talk to, if he wasn't busy making "small" wagers with others. (Though it was amusing to see him lose against Princess L'Arachel time and time again.) Not to mention he's quite—and yes, I do admit it—handsome. I coughed into my fist, trying to suppress another blush that threatened to appear at the thought of the older swordsman. Come on, Artur, you can do it.

I gave up after a minute or so. Looking ahead, I saw the first signs of the fog quickly covering the landscape. I guess I should be going back to the fortress. I got up with the tome in hand and brushed the dust and dirt off my white robes before carefully making my way back. Now was one of the times I wished I had a thief's eyesight. I sighed; no use complaining. Suddenly, a noise ripped through the silence.

This time, I was absolutely certain that it wasn't Lute.

I held the new tome up against my chest, waiting a moment. Nothing came. After a second's hesitation, I started to briskly walk back to where the fortress was. I smiled to myself when I spotted its large shadow. However, my smile disappeared when I saw what lay ahead in front of me.

A large, furry monstrosity with five malicious eyes and eight legs that looked very threatening. Also known to the common man (at least one who's somewhat educated in the myths of our ancestry) as a Bael.

Okay, so I have a mild fear of spiders. Which is why I try to avoid directly combating Baels. Because, in retrospect, Baels are just the same as spiders, only larger, deadlier, and more mutated. And usually, _they_ are the ones who do the stomping, not us.

It's not directly in front of the steps leading to camp… So maybe if I backed away slowly…

The Bael suddenly jerked its head in my direction. My eye twitched—don't move, Artur! It senses fear! I can see its eyes locked onto my position, but it didn't seem to do anything. I took a small step to my left.

…And instantly regretted it…

"KRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" it roared before skittering its way to me. I flipped my tome open and started chanting the mantra as it was still on the move.

"_Sanctus Lux lucis, tribuo mihi vires!_"

A burst of light came from my outstretched hand and surged towards the overgrown spider, which was already no more than three or so meters away from me. Its movement was halted, fortunately, as the spell took action and the light exploded into beautiful circle patterns upon impact. The creature shrieked in pain, but was not defeated just yet. Well, that's not good. The hairs on its body bristled upwards in anger as it came for me again.

I backed away, trying to put some distance between us. However, I stumbled back and fell, accidentally letting go of the Shine tome. I reached quickly and grabbed it just as a large ominous shadow fell over me. My hand placed limply on the cover of the tome, I turned my head back to come face to face with the Bael. I could easily use the chance to use another spell, but my stupid phobia won't allow me. So there I was, paralyzed with fear and eyes closed, waiting to meet my end a la poison talons. (And my guess was, it won't be a quick and painless death, either.)

A battle cry resonated in the air followed by the sound of metal ripping through flesh. My eyes opened and I was immediately graced with the sight of my fear neatly sliced open in front of me, a large pool of blood and small bits of I-don't-want-to-even-_know_-what collecting on the ground. It was rather disgusting, but somehow, at the same time, relieving.

A click of a sheathed blade got me out of my thoughts. Not wanting to bother whoever saved me, (there were many sword wielders in our group, after all) I pushed myself off the ground, only to find a pair of strong yet slender arms helping me on my feet.

"Are you okay, Artur?"

Lo and behold, the Tempest Prince himself comes to my rescue. My plight might as well be written into a romance novel or something.

"I'm fine, Joshua. Just frazzled, is all." I replied, picking up the fallen tome. Now that the main threat is gone, I started to walk towards the shadow that is the fortress. Joshua followed, catching up to walk beside me.

"What happened?" he asked, "I heard a roar and came out just when a light flashed. By the time I got here, you were frozen like someone caught in a Fimbulvetr spell."

"Ah…Well…" I tried to come up with an excuse. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough for his keen perception.

"Were you scared?"

I tinged a very light pink from embarrassment. Who wouldn't; it was a pathetic thing to be afraid of. Besides, we'd all been fighting the things since they first appeared. Not wanting to lie to him (like I could in the first place), I settled for a timid nod. He gave me an understanding look and didn't bring it up again.

When we had returned safely within the walls of our overnight shelter, Gerik had called for the redhead prince. He nodded, telling him he was coming before turning to me. I bowed my head in a respectful farewell sort of manner. He just gave an amused smile before ruffling my hair intimately and running off. I smiled a bit at the gesture, but it soon faded as I walked back to the room I shared with said redhead.

I sat on the bed, feeling my body sink into the fluffy haven. I couldn't help but think about you-know-who. (Then again, there never seemed to be a time anymore when I _wasn't_ thinking about him.) After what happened at Jehanna Hall with his mother… It must be hard to cope while fighting a war. He looks alright, but I truly wonder… No one can get over grief this quickly; it wasn't possible. I wished that there was something I could do. Hold him in my arms and-_No, bad Artur, bad; stop thinking like that! _

"Ah, why must it torture me so!?" I shouted to no one in particular, raising my hands as I fell back to lie down. Sadly, I accidentally hit my head on the headboard of the bed while doing so, "Ow!"

…Today just wasn't my day.

Suddenly, Ross opened the door, "We're under attack!"

My whining can wait until later. Hopefully this fight will keep me distracted from thinking about a certain desert prince. I rushed out with Ross, still holding onto my Shine tome. (I'm surprised I hadn't let it go.) Looking outside, I'm very pleased that the fog has passed and all enemies were in clear view. All units were flooding out into the battlefield, to combat the dark creatures. Ross turned to me and grinned, "Come on; let's show 'em who's boss!"

"Yes, let's go!"

-x-x-x-x-

"_Fulsi!_" My upper body was pushed back slightly at the force of the spell, its power still unfamiliar to me. The Revenant roared and lunged at me, attempting to harm me in some way before it died. I moved away and it fell over, a simple inanimate corpse. I looked at it for a brief moment before running off again, trying to find other enemies that need to be dealt with.

I spotted an archer Wight riding a ballistae, trying to shoot down Princess Tana. I immediately unleashed the Shine spell, and—with just one blow—the bones crumbled and the steel bow dropped onto the grass with a thud.

"Thanks, Artur!" I hear her yell from above. I nodded before continuing around. I encountered Mogalls, some Gargoyles, more Wights, and the occasional Gwyllgi as I circled around the fortress. They all met the same fate the Revenant and Wight did earlier. It seemed as if the routing of these enemies was nearly done. All we needed to do now was to defeat the leader. I spotted a Bael from far away and felt myself twitch. Payback time. I made a hasty dash towards the giant evil hell spawn, ready to take it down.

"_Sanctus Lux lucis, tribuo mihi vires!_" The light swiftly shot through the air and collided with the thorax of said giant evil hell spawn. (Ironic that I should know the body parts of the arachnid.) It cried out, taken by surprise. Its legs started to move, turning itself around to face me. However, I wouldn't give it a chance.

"_Fulsi!_" The second beam of light shot and hit its mark and seared through the creature's body. Not as clean a cut as the ones Joshua made, but it did the job… Shoot, so much for not thinking about him. I briefly shook all thoughts of him out of my head and focused on the task at hand.

I ran to the north, where the houses used to be before the entire plateau was overrun by the dark beings. (Also near the place where Prince Innes had dealt some serious damage to that Carcinian councilmember before.) Everyone was busy with their own share of monsters and healing allies. (We're lucky that Sister Natasha and Princess L'Arachel are mounted; they'll be able to go around easier.) I neared the gates leading up to the formerly populated area before I spotted Sir Cormag flying over from behind in my direction.

"Joshua!" I heard someone yell out. Wait, what!?

My head snapped to my right. I was greeted by the sight of a much larger giant evil hell spawn (Also known as an Elder Bael. It was probably the leader.) and a former redheaded mercenary trying to combat it. Swaying gracefully, he disappeared from my line of vision and was replaced by giant streaks of wind at the sheer speed of his attack. I marveled at the maneuver. But my eyes widened with fear as I saw the sword shatter into metallic splinters. What was worst was the Elder Bael was still standing, ready to strike. I ran as fast as I could, chanting the mantra quickly without tripping over my words. Before long, I found myself pushing Joshua aside and casting the spell.

I felt an abrupt and painful force stab into my abdomen. It hurt, and I can already feel my body going numb from the poison it held. (Mind you, I didn't know it had poison. Though the numbness did help me feel less pain as I was sent back a good distance.) But even so, I'm not letting it gain the victory, "-_mihi…vires!_"

The light hit the Elder Bael at the eyes. I smirked, as it used up its last breath to fill the air with its dying screech. I heard my Shine tome fall to the ground, my arm falling limply at my sides. My eyes unfocused and everything suddenly blurred. Soon, I saw blurs of blue and white, with the occasional green at the sides. (I realized that I had fallen on my back.) I felt my eyes closing, and all the commotion of battle just went away.

The last thing I saw was red.

And then, nothing.

-x-x-x-x-

When I woke up, I saw the stone-gray ceiling of the fortress. Tilting my head up, I saw that the room was empty (save for myself). I never really liked being in bed for longer than I needed to, so I forced myself to sit up despite the ache that pulsed throughout my body. I tried to recall what had happened before I lost consciousness. The only thing I could gather was that blur of red.

…Joshua, perhaps?

I blushed instantaneously at the thought of him hovering over me and—_Damn it, stop thinking like that, Artur!_ I took a deep breath and painfully stood up. My legs were still recovering from the numbness of the poison, but it didn't bother me much. I needed to go outside. I needed to talk to someone. And I know just the one to talk to.

But before that…

I crouched down at the foot of the bed and slipped my arms under the wooden frame. I felt around the floor—By the Stones, where was it? Feeling the cold of steel, I carefully pulled out a sword. (A Killing Edge, to be exact.) I had found it on our way back here from Jehanna, just lying next to a fallen soldier. It still seemed very new, so I brought it with me in case a certain myrmidon's sword broke. (Which it did during that last battle, surprisingly. Coincidence much?) I didn't want to waste any time, so I gently placed the Edge atop his bed and left before anyone could come inside.

Night was falling slowly. I brought my tome with me though, just in case. I went to great lengths to try and keep myself unnoticed by my comrades. It was very hard, considering that I could barely walk quickly enough without my limping hindering my steps. But, somehow, I managed to get by unseen. (Thank you, Holy Latona; I'm pretty sure this happened by your blessings.) I made my way to where the mounts were. The pegasi were resting soundly, their white wings folded inwards. I passed quietly, not wanting to disturb them. I found the one I was looking for isolated from the others.

"Hey there, Genarog."

His head perked up at my voice and made a sort of greeting sound. I walked over and placed a cold hand on his snout, smiling. His eyes held a look of concern and confusion as he nudged what I now realized was my bare upper half (save for my torso, which was covered with bandages). My face tinged a rosy pink yet again—honestly, I can't fathom how I wasn't able to notice my lack of clothing. Genarog huffed through his nose in seeming laughter.

"Yes, yes, I realize you find this humorous, but please stop laughing at me." I can still see the amusement in his eyes, but I sighed and let it go, "Well… Do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?"

He gave me a nod (as far as wyvern body language goes). I petted his head in thanks. Genarog closed his eyes and leaned into my touch, happily accepting the gesture. A few moments passed in silence. Genarog nudged me again, as if he was asking, "Well?"

I felt my face take on a thoughtful look, "I don't suppose you've been in love with a female wyvern, have you?" He did nothing but stare at me as if I had sprouted another limb. I smiled sheepishly, "I thought not…"

It was then that I had thought of something, "…Male wyvern then?"

Now he just outright glared at me, no questions asked, "Okay, okay; I was just making sure…" I told him, not wanting to annoy the creature. It seemed to pacify him, as the leer died away in his eyes. But I can tell he was getting slightly impatient.

"…I like someone… As in, more than a friend or a comrade-in-arms; that type of deal. But there's a bit of a dilemma with that…" I trailed off and looked to the side. Genarog's lifted his head and rubbed his snout against my cheek, urging me to continue, "For one thing, the person I like is… well, of upper class. And he's male. So that pretty much decides that I have no chance. I mean, I'm a monk. The temple and the Divine One surely must be against such a union…"

I sighed, "But I can't stop thinking about him! He's always on my mind, no matter how much I try to dismiss thoughts regarding him… I just don't know what I should do."

My reptilian companion made a sympathetic sound and rubbed his head against me again, comfortingly. I smiled and petted his head once more, "Thank you for listening to me, Genarog. I knew I chose the right one to talk to."

"Artur! There you are!"

I yelped again, whipping myself around to face the person who called me. Why is it that people always sneak up on me like that?

"J…Joshua…" I stuttered as said prince was walking my way. There goes my plan to go back to the fort quietly.

"I was looking everywhere for you! Gods, do you have any idea how worried I was!?" His raised voice, his angered expression—it scared me and made me feel horrible inside. I always try to stay within everyone's good graces, because another fear I have is when people yell at me. (Raising one's voice to get my attention is different from being right in front of me, screaming. Very different.)

All I could manage was to avert my gaze downwards at my feet, shakily apologizing. I couldn't look at him. Not while he was like this.

From behind me, I heard Genarog growl. Still keeping my head down, I looked back to see my wyvern friend glaring at the (obviously displeased) object of my affections. The corners of my mouth twitched upwards into a small and weak smile as I mouthed off, "It's okay, really…" With a final huff, Genarog lowered his head and closed his eyes, going to sleep. (At least, I think he did.)

Joshua sighed, "I didn't mean to yell like that. It's just… Damn, you really scared me, you know? I thought someone snuck in and took you."

"I'm sorry…" I said again, finally looking up. His expression softened as he patted my shoulder lightly.

"Just don't go running off like that again, alright? Look at you—you're half clothed during the middle of the night. What in blazes are you doing out here anyway?"

Holding my hands behind my back, I tilted my head over to the well-I-assume-he's-sleeping Genarog, "I just needed to get my thoughts straightened out."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you don't tell me, but you tell an oversized reptile?"

A startling low growl came from behind. That answers my question. The redhead raised his hands in defense, "Hey, hey, no offense; you're strong and I respect that. No need to get touchy."

Genarog grumbled a bit before he grew silent yet again. I had the urge to chuckle, but kept it to myself. Otherwise, Joshua would give me that funny look. (And it's hard to stop laughing at it when you see it. Take my word for it.) He turned back to me, "So. Care to tell your good old buddy Joshua what's been bothering you lately?"

I should've expected him to catch onto this like he did with my phobia. I bit the inside of my lower lip and looked down again, out of nervousness. I'm not sure I'm ready to tell anyone else, even if I could leave out the name. He gave me a pointed look and said my name with a demanding tone. And when he says things like that, it means he'll never leave you alone about it.

"…I'm in love with someone I shouldn't be." I finally answered, although hesitantly

"Chastity vows, I'm assuming?"

"No… Not really… But…"

"But…?"

"I… The one I like is male…"

There was silence. It felt like it lasted forever. (What is with me and saying things that could come out of a romance novel? I know I'm in love, but…) And then,

"So?"

…That wasn't the reaction I had in mind, actually, "Pardon?"

"So you like someone who is of the same gender as you. He has to be someone special if he's got your eye. So, what's the problem?"

I gave him a look. The 'did-you-honestly-just-say-that?' look, "Joshua, it's not that simple—"

"Artur, I know you're obscuring details, but either way, it shouldn't really matter." He said, interrupting me. He closed his eyes in thought as he continued on, "You're a nice person. Really, you are. You need to stick by what you feel. That's why you and me are fighting this war; because this threat needs to be stopped—that's what we feel. It's the same with this. If you truly feel that you love someone, no one else has the right to tell you that you can't love that person because it's somehow "wrong." I find that to be absolutely ridiculous and frankly, I just toss it all into the eastern wind."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why eastern?"

"Doesn't matter. Point is, if you love the person, you shouldn't have any doubts about pursuing that person." He said, waving it off with one hand, while the other was nestled in his hip. Opening his eyes, he gave me one of the most sincere smiles I've seen him wear, "You have the courage to tell him; I know you do. Hell, what you did out there earlier was pretty amazing."

Nodding vigorously, I said, "Well, I had to do something! I wasn't about to lose a friend because of one fear!"

Still smiling, he placed both hands on my shoulders, "And if you have the courage to beat one fear, you have the courage to beat them all. It's simply a matter of rising up to the challenge. Also, if they hurt you in any way, just come to me, alright? I'll make sure they get taken care of."

I made a face of disapproval, "You don't have to go so far as to resort to violence…"

Chuckling, Joshua ruffled my hair, "You're a really good person. The guy should be lucky to have gotten your attention."

"Thank you…" was all I could manage. I wish I could have said more; the talk he gave me was really encouraging. Too bad he might regret giving it to me when I finally decide to tell him. Oh well; I managed to make it through the conversation without him bothering me about who it was.

"Okay! Now that that's all settled, how about a bet?" he said cheerily, taking out a gold coin from his pocket.

"At this hour?" I asked him incredulously. He smirked back at me, tossing the coin in the air with the flick of his thumb and then catching it.

"I had to chase after you when night was falling, when you were supposed to be in bed. The least you could do is humor me by accepting a small wager."

Unbelievable. I guess you can't really take the gambling out of his system for more than a few hours, "Fine… What are the terms?"

"If you win, I'll carry you back, so we can get to our beddings quicker." He said, playing with the coin. I nodded, signaling him to continue, "But if I win, you have to tell me who exactly caught your eye."

…I knew there had to be a catch, "You can't be serious…"

"I'm quite serious, and you've already agreed so there's no backing out now." Joshua showed me the gold coin so I can verify that he wasn't cheating (like he had in the past), "Now make your call. Heads or tails?"

I can't believe this… But I have half a chance of making it out so, "Heads."

"Atta boy!" he said, tossing the coin in the air again. He caught it with the same hand and turned it over, placing it on the back of his other hand. I looked at the coin.

Tails.

Why does this not surprise me? My eyes looked up, to see the redhead prince savoring his triumph. Sometimes, I get very envious of his luck, "So, Artur, who's the lucky man that stole your heart?"

I'm not ready for this! "Er…"

"A deal's a deal, Artur. You gotta tell me." I gulped. How should I approach this? I barely even had time to think before I felt something hit my back hard, causing me to fall forward, right on top of the source of my girlish feelings and random phrases that seem to be taken from romance novels.

To make matters worst, our lips made contact. In other words, I kissed him. (Although unintentionally, it still counted as one.) My mind stopped working at that moment. Then, after a good three seconds, I realized what exactly I was doing and pulled away.

At least, I tried to.

Before I could get off of him and start my babbling string of apologies, I felt his hand behind my head, pushing me back down before he captured my lips again. Wait, since when was this an outcome?

I suddenly felt something moist against my lips, and instinctively gasped, which in turn allowing said moist object (which I realized to be Joshua's tongue) to invade the inside of my mouth. At that point, all logic was tossed into the eastern wind (as he put it) and I didn't care anymore. All I cared about was that it felt good and I wanted more. I pressed myself against his form as he wrapped one arm around my waist and continued to explore my mouth.

It didn't last long, though—a low growl brought us back to reality.

We pulled away from each other and turned our heads to look at Genarog, whose eyes were wide open and staring at us with a questioning look. Red-faced, I lifted myself off of Joshua. I couldn't help but start spurting the beginnings of apologies as he got up.

"Artur." His voice was enough to make me cease my babbling immediately. He looked at me for a few seconds before smirking, "You still didn't tell me who it was."

My face heated more than it already was. My head tilted downwards and my body stood erect with embarrassment, "Um… you?"

He went over to me and leaned over so his face was directly in front of mine. Still smirking, he whispered, "Good" before catching my lips again. I was still somewhat incredulous to it, but simply settled for leaning into it. Might as well take it for all its worth.

Joshua pushed me against a tree a moment later and broke apart from me. I was about to say something until he quickly started to leave a trail of butterfly kisses down my neck. (By the Stones, it felt so _good_.) He whispered three words into my skin—those three words I've always wanted to hear since I first met him.

"J…Jo…shua…"

Another noise made him pause. Joshua lifted his head and sighed, "Come on, Artur; let's get back to the fort. Your wyvern friend's getting impatient."

I smiled sheepishly as he took my hand and started to lead me back. I turned around to Genarog, "I'll see you tomorrow, Genarog; I hope you get some rest."

Genarog nodded and closed his eyes. This time, he really did fall asleep.

"By the way, that sword on my bed…"

Oh, right, "The one that broke was your last one, right? I found it while we were passing by Hamill Canyon and thought I should hang onto it, just in case…"

I saw him smile and felt his fingers slip between my own, "Thanks."

-x-x-x-x-

The next morning, I found myself in that same tree branch, looking over the greenery. Everything was quiet, and I sighed, feeling at peace.

"Artur!!"

"Aaahh!" Once again, I fell out of the tree and made friends with the ground below. I sat myself up, "Lute!"

She shook her head, "Well, if you don't like falling out of trees, I suggest you don't climb them."

I got up, dusting my robes. It's not like I could help climbing them; it's been a habit of mine, "Was there something you needed?"

"Nothing in particular. Just wondering if you were up there." She replied nonchalantly. I sighed. Leave it to Lute to use me as her main source of entertainment. Although, I did hear that she attacked the Grado shaman, Knoll, some short time ago, "Anyway, now that I've found my answer, I'll be taking leave of you now."

With that, she walked away. I crossed my arms; sometimes that girl truly confuses me.

I heard a rustle of leaves from above as a mess of red hair hidden underneath a hat poked out from the tree top, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing important. She just wanted to scare me." Joshua chuckles with amusement as he drops down from his post in the tree.

"Are you okay, though? After yesterday, I don't think you're ready to be falling out of tree branches any time soon."

"I'm fine, really. But don't you have a meeting to attend to?" I asked, the thought suddenly crossing my mind. He looked up at the sky in mock thought.

"Hmmm… That can wait." Rushing up to me, my redhead prince slid his arms around my waist and held me close, "Besides, I'd rather spend my free time with you."

I smiled and leaned up to kiss him, but…

"Hey!" We turned to see Cormag, waving in the distance. Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone's bent on interrupting anything intimate that goes on between us? "Come on! We're gonna be heading for Port Kiris soon!"

"We'll be right there!" Joshua yelled. The wyvern rider rushed away to go alert everyone else. He sighed, "Looks like we should head back, hm?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Don't worry; you'll get another chance." I pouted for a moment until he gave me a quick kiss to the forehead. (Then I broke out into a smile.)

The two of us then started to run back to the fortress, hand in hand.

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**Alright, I'm done! I'm thinking of doing two more chapters: one in Joshua's point of view, and another with the whole incident that spark Artur's arachnophobia. What do you guys think?**

**Anyway, please don't flame me! I warned you twice in the beginning of the fic (And even before that, in the summary) that this was going to be shounen-ai. And even so, if you didn't like it, please keep those negative thoughts to yourself. Thank you :D **


	2. The Prince of Gales: Joshua

**Disclaimer: Same as before (like anything would've changed anyway XD) **

**Notes: OHCRAP! People actually asked for a second chapter! This time, it's with Joshua's point of view (with some timeframe differences). Really sorry about how long I took D: I know it's been over two YEARS already but… Hey, things happen. Not to mention, it's kinda hard to write Joshua XD Anyway, let's see how different our myrmidon's thinking is; let's go!  
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I should've known that it would turn out like this.

I can't put it into words, really. Unlike the two princes, who seem to have a talent for these kinds of things, I can't explain stuff very well. I'm the type of guy to go by instinct and just follow the flow, if you will.

Anyway.

As I rushed out the burning building that was once my home, logic and reasoning went out the window, into the wind, and the feelings of pure rage took over immediately. (Alright, maybe you can throw in a hint of disbelief and even a tiny bit of denial. That I'll admit.) And damn, was all that rage put to good use. What better way of relieving anger and stress by taking it out on enemies? (Not to mention, the one who committed your mother's murder in the first place.) I won't lie. It felt _good_.

It's been almost a week since we left Jehanna behind. Hopefully, I'll be returning under better circumstances. Hopefully. The other option is that I'll die trying. But we can't have that, can we? Nah.

The Princess of Renais decided, with her twin brother's approval, to head back over to the Tower in Frelia to kill more dark creatures. (Not to mention some impromptu questioning to one of the recent additions to the army, the Grado shaman Knoll.) We got stuck with the overland route again. ('Ghost Ship'… What a load of crap.) I'm not complaining much. If we get ambushed, I'll be more than happy to take them down myself. (May not be so good for the rest of the army, though. Even if we got through that desert battle alive, we still took a good hit from the waves of enemy soldiers that came after us.)

Up ahead, I spotted Kyle and his mount cantering back towards the group. He was sent to scout ahead for enemies. Slowing to a stop, his horse trotted next to Prince Ephraim.

"I've spotted no enemies stationed around the perimeter of the plateau. I believe we can stay overnight at the stronghold nearby to make the necessary inspection on supplies." I saw the blue-haired royal nod, looking slightly relieved.

"That's good to hear." He said, before turning to address the rest of the soldiers, "Everyone! We shall stay in Teraz Plateau for the night. We'll move again within the next twenty-four hours." And with his word, we all started to move towards our temporary shelter.

"Joshua!" I knew that voice way too well; it's dripping with too much enthusiasm and overall too loud to ignore. And as fate knew it, I was assaulted (maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture) by a bone-crushing 'hug' from behind me, "Here you are!"

"Hey, there, Lady L'Arachel." I greeted. I really wasn't in the mood for this. She's a nice girl and all, but sometimes she gets a bit too over the top. (It may sound mean, but holy Stones, save me!)

"Oh, please! Just call me, L'Arachel!" the almost-valkyrie-but-not-quite-there-yet said in her usual tone of voice. I had to keep myself from wincing; she hit an incredibly high note that made my ear hurt.

"Uh…Right. Was there something you needed?"

"Ah, yes! Princess Eirika suggested you attend the next war council, since it now affects the future of you and your nation."

"Okay. When?"

"As soon as we set up within the fortress ahead."

"Ah…" Great. Now I have to start going to these things? Strategizing isn't my forte either—it's either you tell me what the hell you want me to do, or I do it my own way (which may cause more bad than good, but that's just less than half the time).

"By the way," she started off. And here I thought it was over, "I think our resident Brother is worried about you."

"Brother?"

"The orangey-haired one." Yeah, thanks, that helps a _lot_. (Note the sarcasm. I'm _really_ not in the mood for this.)

Wait a tic…

"Who, Artur?" she snapped her fingers and said, 'There we go; that's the one!' Speaking of Artur, I still need to give him that tome I picked up. Yeah, I kind-of-sort-of caused him to "break" it during one of our training sessions. ("Break" as in all the pages magically shriveled up, leaving only a useless cover. How the hell do they do that anyway?) I was going to give it to him earlier, as an apology of sorts, but my bitter mood left me to forget about it until now. Anywho, "What about him?"

"I keep seeing him glance at you, with a solemn and far-off look." Is that all? Ain't that called sympathy? A.K.A., things monks are supposed to have in the first place? I turned my head to the side, rolling my eyes, when I caught said monk actually looking my way. He seemed surprised and hastily bowed his head apologetically before snapping his head forward, nervously trying to shake off the awkwardness of the moment. Well, wasn't that adorable. I have to admit, for a guy, Artur's not too bad on the eyes.

"See, just like that!" L'Arachel whispered none-too-softly into my ear. Ow.

"I don't see what you're getting at. So he's concerned; it's what monks do." I replied, nonchalantly.

"Surely you saw the look in his eyes!" she exclaimed. I'm surprised no one's giving us looks, "That, my dear companion, is the look of a pining maiden!"

I rolled my eyes again. That look could have been anything, but a pining maiden? Sometimes, I really have to question the sense of this girl. That, and her lucky streak. Seriously, I can barely win a bet against her; I refuse to believe in the 'divine power' crap she's spouting.

We soon arrived at the stone steps leading up to the abandoned fortress, where Sir Sniper-with-a-stick-up-his-ass was stuck with Gerik and Tethys. L'Arachel, seemingly determined not to leave me alone for a moment until we got to the war council, followed after me. (Oh joy…)

"Prince Joshua!" L'Arachel and I turned back to see Ephraim running to catch up to us. Pausing just a few steps below, he said, "I heard you were joining us in the subsequent council."

I gave a curt nod, "Mmhm. And don't worry about all that whole 'prince' stuff. Save it for after the war."

"Very well. Now, I don't mean to rush you two, but it would be wise for you to place your things in your rooms right away. Lady L'Arachel, my sister requested you be her roommate for tonight."

"Oh? How delightful!" the green-haired troubadour squealed animatedly. Too. Much. Happy-sunshine. Arg.

"As for you, Joshua, we've assigned you a room with Brother Artur. You seem to be friendly with him, so I assumed you wouldn't mind." The prince continued, turning to me. I shook my head and told him that it was fine. It really _has_ been a while since I last talked with him anywho.

"Great. I shall see you both again soon, I would hope?"

"'Course." My mouth automatically spat out. Sometimes it's better to just go with it—makes things a _whole_ lot easier on yourself. And with that, Ephraim went back to his sister, who was in discussion with Lady Tana.

"Well, Joshua?" L'Arachel said, looping her arm within mine, "We mustn't waste time, now! Let's go!"

She started to run up the stairs, naturally dragging me with her. I was fast, yeah, but apparently her good mood increases her speed. (If only that would happen in battle; then she'd actually be very useful.)

"Whoa, slow down!" At the rate she was going, it was almost guaranteed that I was going to trip sometime soon. I always hated stairs. I think it started when I was a kid—I was learning how to use a blade and I would take it to train myself everyday. Of course, back then my definition of 'training' equals to running around the castle as fast as I could, swinging a practice sword at objects I _knew_ would survive the hit. (Breaking things in Jehanna Hall was a big no-no, as I found out the hard way.) When it came to stairs, I didn't really run down them, I would jump off the top step and land at the bottom just fine. But one particular day, during my training, I decided to be stupid and jump off the top step of the main stairwell, which was the one with the most steps.

I jumped off the top, but landed way short of what I had expected—and thus, I lost my footing and tumbled down. End result was a broken left arm (thankfully, I'm not left-handed), loss of half my brain cells, me avoiding stairs like the plague for the next week, and a severe scolding from my mother.

…Mother…

So once I made it up the steps to the fortress, I lightly shook L'Arachel off, "You should probably go meet up with Lady Eirika in your room. I just need to go see someone."

Cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms, she made a face. Like the "you're-trying-to-get-rid-of-me-aren't-you?" face. She begrudgingly agreed, before telling me not to be late to the council—apparently taking place within a few dozen minutes' time. Hm. Guess I'll have to find my little monk quickly.

Ah, wait. No 'my.' He's not mine. At least not _yet_.

You heard right. I admit that there's something inside me that desires him. (But not in that _pining maiden_ way. I know I'm lean and slender, but I'm one hundred percent masculine in how I carry myself, thank you very much.)

"Yes, yes; I won't be late." I said, waving a dismissing hand and walking away in a hasty step. Really, you can tell I was eager to place some distance between us. Now, then, to find Artur…

I decided to first check in with Kyle to see where our shared room was. He informed me — his voice filled with its usual serious (and laughably boring) tone—that we were down the second corridor, the fifth door of the left-hand quarters. He can't just be simple and go "Yeah, yours's the fifth door on the left over there."—we all know Kyle has to be all sophisticated about it. I don't know whether he's actually trying to act refined or if he's just being a pretentious stiff.

Anyway. I went down to our room and looked to see if he was there. Nope. But the little belongings and clothing he had were already placed atop the beddings. So I assumed he had already been here, and had recently left. Well, damn. Leaving my own things on the other bed except for the tome I was planning to give to him, I went back out and ran around the perimeter of the entire stronghold. But I just couldn't find him.

Looks like my luck needs to replenish itself. Bah.

My time's running out and I know I'm gonna forget to give this to him again if I just give up. If I can just find someone in the next minute…

"Joshua!" I heard the Rausten princess's voice call. Crap, that's not good. I sprinted off in a random direction away from her voice. I had been too busy worrying about being caught that I didn't notice someone in front of me and soon bumped into them.

"Ah, sorry there." I said, looking down at the one I ran into.

"It's quite alright. Though I should recommend that you do watch where you're going, if you're planning to run around like that." the girl said, picking up her thick book. Wait, doesn't she usually hang out with Artur? Looks like my luck's finally starting to turn around.

"Lute, right?" I asked her, just in case I got the wrong person. (The army's growing fast and I hadn't had the time to acquaint myself with its new fighters.)

"Indeed. Do you have business with me?" she said in a professional manner. I wonder if she's met Kyle; I have a feeling that they'd get along real well.

"Oh, yeah. You're friends with Artur, right? Think you can give this to him for me?" I handed the tome to her and she took it with a look of curiosity and interest.

"Hm… Why not simply give it to him yourself?"

"Well, you see—"

"There you are, Joshua!" a familiar green-haired valkyrie rounded a corner and pointed triumphantly at me. She has a habit of overdramatizing, don't you think? Before I could even say something to the girl, she sauntered over, grabbed the back of my collar and started to drag me off to that forsaken meeting, "Come on, now; we mustn't keep the others waiting!"

As I stumbled forward against my own will, I glanced back at Lute. She gave a firm nod before going off with the tome at hand. She'll deliver it. She can't use a light tome anyway; what good will it do her?

And so off I went to the Meeting of Epic Boredom, with my none-too-quiet "escort" still holding the back of my collar in a vice grip. Troubadour? More like a newborn Gorgon in disguise.

-x-x-x-x-

Finally. I'm finally out.

My eagerness to escape from the modest council room and mainly a green-haired staff-wielder could be seen by a blind man. (Though I still wished to uphold some sort of dignity, so I restricted myself from not exiting the room in a mad dash.) I hold the highest respects to Prince Innes—I really do—but hearing him rant for an hour (give or take) was practically unbearable.

That should be our battle tactic. Send Innes out there and let the enemy soldiers listen to him for more than ten minutes.

As I leaned on the stone railing of the fortress, looking out at the scenery, I gave out a sigh. Really, when the hell did my life get so complicated? I thought going out of the castle to interact with the people would make things better—make _me_ better—but then all this happened. I can't even explain myself right. (Then again, when have I ever?)

Why did it turn out like this? Why couldn't I have just stayed in the Hall, and maybe, just maybe…

You'd still be here.

Too late to fix things, I guess. I just have to learn to get over it for now and keep moving forward. There's already enough moping going around this camp, anyway.

The fog I've heard someone talk about earlier (Rennac, was it? Sounds like a Carcinian name) finally moved in, blanketing the entire plateau in a mildly-thick fog. Great… I swear, if enemies ambush us, I'm going to go berserk on them. No staff needed.

All of the sudden, I heard an inhuman screech that pierced the fog (not to mention my eardrums. Ow). Sounded like a Bael. Figuring that I needed the distraction, I quickly ran over to the direction where I heard the roar. (Steps be _damned_; I leapt off the railing and landed into some shrubs.) About halfway there, I saw a familiar burst of light explode in the veiled air.

Oh, _crap_.

The beast was in sight, roaring in being injured. I looked and saw a mass of white robes trip and fall to the ground. That could only be one of a handful of people, but hell, I knew who it was. I ran as fast as I could, unsheathing my sword and jumped at the Bael, swerving myself around as I whirled through the air to make three lengthy slashes before cutting the monster in half. Sheathing my sword, I spotted the mess of orange hair trying to get up. I wasted no time in going to his side, helping him back on his feet.

"Are you okay, Artur?" I asked. He tinged a light pink for some reason before he picked up his magic book.

"I'm fine, Joshua. Just frazzled, is all." His answer sounded rushed. Artur quickly turned on his heel and made a hasty retreat back to the fortress. I caught up, falling into step next to him. He's one of the people who traveled with Eirika since the onset of this journey. Hell, he's probably one of the first ones in the continent to combat these creatures! So why did he just get paralyzed like that all of the sudden?

"What happened?" I asked, curiously, "I heard a roar and came out just when a light flashed. By the time I got here, you were frozen like someone caught in a Fimbulvetr spell."

"Ah… Well…" he was trying to think of an excuse, by his expression… Hold on a second… Now that I think about it, when it came to those freakish spiders, he always stayed far away, opting to attack any other monster. He also seemed to shudder at the sight of cobwebs… A phobia, maybe?

"Were you scared?" Artur's cheeks turned even pinker at the comment; his feeble nod affirmed my guesses. It's understandable. Everyone has their fears, me included. (And, _no_, the stairs don't count. I merely said I didn't _like_ them; I didn't say I was _scared_ of them. There's a big difference, you know.)

When we got back to the dreary gray fort, I heard someone calling for me. It was Gerik.

"I'm comin'! Just gimme a sec!" I told him. Nodding, he soon disappeared around the corner. Turning back around, I saw Artur bowing his head. It was cute, and I couldn't help myself when I mussed up his hair a bit. As I ran off after Gerik, I couldn't help but think that his hair was just as soft as it looked… (Crap. Pining maiden mode is starting to activate. Must not succumb!) In rounding the corner, I nearly ran into the one I was after.

"Whoa, don't hurt yourself there, Prince!" the green-haired mercenary joked, putting his hands up. I grinned in response.

"There something you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked, leaning my elbows back against the stone railing. He shrugged.

"Just thought I'd strike a conversation. Seeing a depressed person mill about depresses me too, y'know." I raised an eyebrow. I knew where this is going, but I played dumb and asked him what he meant anyway. Sighing, he replied, "Don't play that game. I can tell by that look in your eyes that your spirits're crushed. Not to mention, I've been around long enough to be able to point out the all-time low of your cynicism."

As per usual, Gerik's keen eye was right on target. He continued when I didn't reply, "Is it your mother?"

Sighing, I closed my eyes and thought about what I could say, "…This all could've been prevented if I hadn't been selfish."

"You can't help the circumstances." Gerik said, leaning forward against the rail, "Besides, things would've been real different if you hadn't made the decision you made. You wouldn't've joined up with the army as soon as you did. Sister Natasha might've died back in Serafew. You might've died in the Hall. A lot of things could've happened. But out of all those options, this is the result. Now that you've killed the murderer, all you can do is get through this damn war and raise your country from its ashes afterwards."

The mercenary put a hand on my shoulder, "Hey, you can always come to us if you wanna vent. Almost everyone's lost one person that was important to them in this war—parents, friends, loved ones… We know how you feel. Don't single yourself out. You're starting to worry everyone, 'specially that little monk friend of yours."

The tone in his voice made me open my eyes. Upon facing him, I was greeted with a knowing smirk. Crap, please don't tell me…

"What's with you two, anyway? Mighty close, if you ask me." I knew what he was implying and surrendered myself to his unspoken accusations. Someone's gonna find out anyway.

"Alright, alright, you got me." I told him, straightening myself out and stretching my arms, "I got my eyes set on him."

I probably piqued Gerik's interest; he looked like he was practically restraining himself from bombarding me with questions. He managed to select one, "What brought this on?"

I shrugged, "Artur's a cute kid. Got an adorable personality to boot, though his rage is something you definitely want to avoid."

"Definitely." He agreed. We've both seen Artur's fury out on a battlefield and trust me, it was a fearsome sight. Back in the dunes of Jehanna, he took out an entire fleet of high-ranked reinforcements with just a Lightning tome. Looks like holy men need to vent once in a while, too. And when this little bundle of light magic is raging, the best thing to do is get the hell out of his way. Bringing the conversation back on tangent, Gerik asked, "You do know what you're getting yourself into, right?"

"What can I say? I'm a gambler, after all. It's the perfect situation, too — subject of my wants is oblivious, pure, part of the clergy, and male. Having a love like this just has risk written all over it, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

He grinned, "Well, I sincerely hope you win that gamble. Might make you less gloomy, after all, since I'm gonna win that promised duel."

"Don't get too cocky; I've gotten a lot better since you last saw me fight." We both laughed, and I knew everything was starting to get better.

"Gerik! Joshua!" a panicked voice shouted. It was Neimi, "The fort's surrounded by fell creatures; we're under attack!"

The two of us looked at each other and our grins got wider with excitement. We ran off, following Neimi as the rest of the army started to rouse from their respites. The rush of the oncoming battle was starting to creep its way into my body and as I caught sight of the enemy—a horde of Revenants with some Mauthe Doogs—Gerik told me to show him just how much I've improved.

My pulse was rushing from the adrenaline. Every slice into dead flesh felt exhilarating, and I managed to get some loot for the others. There were no dropped swords that I could've used, but I have to wonder: what the _hell_ is a Deathgoyle doing with _one hundred gold_! (I must've been wondering out loud since I heard Forde reply that the monsters "need money in order to have a good time too, if you know what I mean." I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.)

"Joshua!" I turned around, just as I noticed the massive shadow that was being cast above me. And there I saw an Elder Bael staring down at me, with poison dripping from its teeth. I jumped and dodged, just as it sank its fangs into the dirt. Thank you, newfound reflexes of being a Swordmaster. I raised my Wind Sword and, with elegant speed, made my attack on the overgrown spider. The wind blasts made several cuts into its body, and it was close to its end, but it was still alive enough for another attack.

You remember back when I said that my luck's finally starting to turn around? Well, Lady Luck decided to be a complete jackass at the moment because my sword just chose the absolute _perfect_ time to break into magic-metal splinters. One thought crossed my mind: _Shit_. Before I knew what was happening, I was suddenly knocked over. When I hit the ground, I saw a blur of white practically flying over me. By the Stones, don't tell me…

There was a blinding light, and a dying screech. I lowered the arm I used to shield my eyes from the light, and saw a familiar mass of white robes and orange hair. Cursing loudly, I ran over and knelt down beside him.

"Artur? Artur!" His gaze was unfocused and his eyes started to droop. I picked him up immediately, yelling for a healer like a madman. My heart was starting to beat again—not from excitement, but from fear. My breathing started to get ragged as I ran towards Natasha, catching small glances of his limp arm dangling lifelessly. I would've already sworn he was dead if I didn't hear those shallow gasps—the only things that kept me thinking: _Yes, he's going to be okay; just run, Joshua, run_.

_He still has a chance. _

My hands were still shaking as I handed him over to the healers, who proceeded to surround him with Restore and Mend staves. The healing light had radiated warmth that I could feel as I stood to the side, but even that didn't help me ease my nerves. What had he been thinking, jumping in like that? I could've dodged it just fine! Once they had finished bandaging him up, they put them back in my arms. He looked nothing more than a sleeping boy who had accidentally spilled michew berry juice on his clothes now. It was a major relief. I carried him back to our room and laid him down on the bed immediately, taking off his boots. Those robes were a mess and needed to be cleaned and mended quickly before the blood starts to dry…

…He wouldn't mind if I took just the outer coat and shirt off, right?

Working the buttons out of their holes and untying the knot on his sash, I carefully peeled off his outer jacket. Once it came off, I saw that there was nothing else covering his upper body save for the thin bandages that wrapped around his torso and—_No, Joshua, you can't just stare! _Images started to flood into my mind: tangled bed sheets, suffocating heat, exposed skin, those half-lidded eyes heavy with desire, that voice crying out just for—_STOP RIGHT THERE!_ I shook the perverse thoughts out of my head and brought my eyes away from Artur's sleeping form for the sake of my mental health.

I need fresh air…

-x-x-x-x-

I had decided to walk around the premises for a little bit to clear my thoughts. Go figure that I bumped into Gerik.

"Feelin' alright now?" the mercenary asked me, patting me on the shoulder. I should've seen this conversation coming after our last little "heart-to-heart."

"Yeah… Still a bit shaken, but I'll be fine." I replied honestly.

"I can see the 'shaken' part." Gerik said, eyes not-so-subtly pointed at my still-trembling hands. I clenched them into fists in an attempt to make them stop, "You were scared he was gonna end up like your mother. Dead in your arms."

_Yes_, I breathed in my mind. I was afraid that it was going to be too late again. Afraid that I'd be cradling another departed loved one that could have _lived_. The army had been impacted with grief for my mother, even though they never knew her like I did. So imagine what it would be like if we had lost one of our own. And imagine what it would be like for the ones who do _know_ him I like knew my mother. My folks may be dead, but Artur gave no inclination of his parents being deceased. He has people waiting for him back home—people who may not even know he went on his nigh suicidal mission to save the continent from a second coming of darkness. Gerik patted me on the back.

"He's okay now, Joshua."

When I went back to the room, I took in the sight of an empty room.

…That's not good…

Panic started to overtake my system. I was about to run back outside to raise some sort of alarm when a bright metal glint caught my eye. I slowly turned on my heel to face it, and to my surprise—what do you know, a sword. Not just any sword, either; it was a Killing Edge. As I check my mental inventory, I don't think I ever had a Killing Edge since before the siege at Jehanna Hall. And that had been quite a while ago. It possibly couldn't have popped out of thin air and I'm almost sure that our convoy master hadn't paid any surprise visits, which only left one slight possibility.

I ran back out, closing the door hurriedly. Whirling around, I almost ran into L'Arachel.

"Oh my!" she cried out, stumbling back, "Joshua, _do_ be careful next ti—!"

"Artur's missing; seen him?" In any other circumstance, she would have already started to berate me on my rudeness. However, she seemed to recognize that this is _way_ more important than her usually ridiculous tirades.

Starting to take on a thoughtful look, she replied, "I haven't spotted him at all… But maybe you should look in the stables? Lute tells me he's formed a liking with the wyvern."

Now that she mentions it, I've noticed that too. Quickly thanking her for the small piece of direction, I swiftly ran over to where the wyvern was. He was kept away from the horses and pegasi since he had a tendency to scare the other mounts. As I started to think about the wyvern my train of thought went to his rider, a misinformed ex-soldier from Grado by the name of Cormag. Artur was friendly to everyone, and he's starting to become especially close to Cormag. When I realized that the chances of him not returning my feelings were higher than I had anticipated, my running pace slowed to a walk.

"Damn…" I whispered to myself. Way to have thought this out, Joshua.

It was at that moment that I heard a voice. I looked past the tree branches and saw a spot of orange. By the Stones, I don't even care if that's an enemy; I'm going over there to check it out. (Then again, I'm already running, so what point is it to think that?) Lo and behold, the army's resident monk who is supposed to be resting in be—why isn't he wearing his cloak?

"Artur!" I called out to him, "There you are!"

He made a startled noise and whirled himself frantically in my direction, probably thinking me a thief or some sort of bad person who'd try to lay harm on him. I made my way over to him to see if he's alright (though by his company, I'm fairly sure he is).

"J…Joshua…"

"I was looking everywhere for you! Gods, do you have any idea how worried I was!" I instantly regretted saying that. Artur looked down, looking absolutely petrified. He's one of those types that hate getting into these types of conflicts. The wyvern mount behind him growled at me (they _were_ awful close, by what I've been hearing around camp) and Artur just gave a meek assurance. I sighed, knowing I've scared him just as badly as he did me earlier, "I didn't mean to yell like that. It's just… Damn, you really scared me, you know? I thought someone snuck in and took you."

I don't know where it had gone. I was just trying to make small talk to get him less nervous around me—and before I knew it, I was giving him relationship advice! (On that note, when I find the guy who managed to steal my monk's heart away, I will _kill him_. Kill him dead. Deader than dead. So dead, even Caellach would be impressed.) But he seemed a bit more relaxed now, and that's what I was aiming for.

First, however, is a little information. Because I want to kill the guy deader than dead before we have to move onto our next destination (preferably, at least). So I proposed a bet. After hearing the terms, Artur tensed right back up.

"You can't be serious…" he groaned lightly. I had to fight the urge to grin.

"I'm quite serious, and you've already agreed so there's no backing out now." I showed him the coin just in case. Because at my own admission, he knows I have the ability to cheat in these types of wagers (though recently, he's grown keener on catching them), "Now make your call. Heads or tails?"

"Heads."

"Atta boy!" And I tossed it high up in the air. This is it. The fate of one unlucky person who will feel my handy-dandy new Killing Edge is riding on this coin. So what's the outcome? I caught it and flipped the gold piece over the back of my other hand. The grin defeated my self-control—with good reason, though. It was tails.

"So, Artur, who's the lucky man that stole your heart?" Yes, do tell so I may introduce his face to some sharp metal. (I can be very possessive and vindictive at times, as you can obviously tell.) However, Artur seemed reluctant to give me a name. Reminding him that a deal was a deal, I saw a blur of the wyvern's tail—and suddenly, I got one _very_ cute monk on top of me with us both being connected through our mouths. Yep. I was kissing him. And _damn_, did it feel amazing.

He tried to push off of me, but my clingy thoughts of making this catch mine caught up with me. Like hell was I letting him go now. Out of every decision I made in my life—the ones I was never sure would turn out okay, the ones I was wary of—this was the one I was completely sure was right. _This_ felt right. Just him and me. I felt more confident now.

But of course, nothing ever goes right, and it was only natural that we'd get interrupted by our forgotten audience. Artur, looking more embarrassed than ever, practically jumped off me and started to sputter out incoherent babble (though I think I caught "sorry" in there).

"Artur." He abruptly stopped when I called his name, "You still didn't tell me who it was."

I think I just saw most of his blood rush to his face. He stood up abnormally straight before squeaking out, "Um…you?"

I'm going to wait three seconds…

Two…

One…

Whispering my approval, I leaned over him and claimed my rightful prize. I guess patience and perseverance really does pay off in the end. His lips felt _divine_. His taste was intoxicating. I couldn't get enough of it. He wants this too; I can tell by his face. I can tell he's been wanting it as long as I had.

"I love you… I love you…" I chanted it into his skin over and over like a mantra. I'll keep saying it until he believes it—until all of Magvel believes it.

It felt like forever (as cliché as it sounds), but I would like to reiterate at this time that nothing every goes right. Cue another interruption by our reptilian friend. I pulled away from the living temptation I was indulging myself with and sighed. If we stay out here, we're not going to progress far.

"Come on, Artur; let's get back to the fort. Your wyvern friend's getting impatient." He probably wanted us out so he can finally get some sleep. Cormag's wyvern can sure be moody sometimes. Artur gave an amiable goodbye to his unconventional confidant, and we started to head back to camp. Oh, speaking of camp, that reminds me. I asked Artur about the sword. He said he picked it up at Hamill Canyon and thought he would keep it with him for a bit, just in case my sword broke (which it did). I was touched by the gesture. He's too cute.

I smiled and thanked him, grabbing hold of his hand gently. The feel of his fingers between my own. The warmth I feel between the two of us alone. Future visions of intimacy, tender smiles and a brighter future after this war…

Yes, this—both of us, together—is truly right.

-x-x-x-x-

As we get closer and closer to the temple where the Demon King lies, the monsters we've encountered have increased tenfold. They come in hordes now, constantly. Artur's no longer a monk, but a bishop. But he's still cute.

Darkling Woods is taking its toll on all of us. We're forging a path through all the foliage and beasts that dare cross us. I must say, though, we seem to be holding up okay. The temple's just beyond a small thicket of trees in the distance. It seems so far away, but compared to where this journey has taken us, we've never been closer.

Mountains blend with forests in a mystical and foreboding way—and before we could even suspect, I heard the tell-tale skittering of Baels. I see Artur try to suppress a shudder next to me. He clutches onto his staff before running towards the arachnids.

"Artur!" I call out. Everyone in the army knows of his fear. Ever since the incident in Teraz Plateau, we haven't crossed these eight-legged fiends. He's never had to fight them. So what the hell was he doing, suddenly charging at them like this!

He stopped within their range. They spotted him and let out a cry before rushing over to their prey. None of us could move any further than where we were, so he was out on his own. I couldn't bear to watch this—if he gets hurt…

But, no, that wasn't the case. To our amazement, he dodged them. Even if their deadly talons hit Artur, the attacks didn't even seem to faze him. After their assault was finished, he raised his staff high, heralding in the light that would fell all of those Baels in one blow.

All of our forces gave a sigh of relief before continuing the advance. Cormag and Genarog have spotted the crazy priest who tried to kill us in Rausten. As everyone was moving, I saw Artur talking with Eirika. She handed him a book of some sort before returning to the front lines to lead the charge. He just stood there, trying to catch his breath. Like he couldn't believe what he just did.

I ran over to him and hugged him tightly. I wanted to hold him—for what could very well be the last time.

"I'm proud of you." I told my love, letting him go.

"I'd like to hear you say that when I help defeat the Demon King." Artur said, smiling at me. He showed me the book Eirika had given him—the Sacred Twin, Ivaldi. I couldn't hide my smile, either.

I held his hand, while I held my sword with the other, "Let's end this war. Both of us."

"Yes!" He replied, nodding fervently. Like this, we caught up with the others and rejoined the skirmish. Riev was dead. The undead dragon guarding the gate had fallen. Beyond that gate was the Demon King. Everything rides on this last battle. But we're going to win. Definitely. I decided it myself that I would spend the rest of my life with the one I love. Like hell will I let some freak of nature get in the way of that.

We enter the temple, hands still held tightly.

Mother… After this, I can rebuild Jehanna alongside Artur.

Please, wait for us.

We'll be finished soon enough.

* * *

**AND THAT'S THE END! Thanks to all those who waited this long and stuck with me! **

**Oh my goodness, Joshua. Why did my motivation refuse to work with you! **


End file.
